//------------------------------// // Prologue: House of the Rising Sun // Story: SuShi's Bizarre Adventure: Twilit Curtain Call // by Jojoleopard //------------------------------// It had been so long since Sunset Shimmer had been back in Japan that she had almost forgotten how convenient it was to get through immigrations at the airport. With almost everyone packed with portable translators these days, everyone she had to talk to at the airport had their machines to reply her in English, and there were no longer long lines of people waiting to get their passports stamped. Now, she could just check herself into any country she wanted by going through a self-serving kiosk with an automated attendant that would record down her credentials at speeds her brain couldn’t even reach, which Sunset thought was very good. She didn’t want to speak to any Japanese officials, they were a constant reminder that her daughter had moved so far away when she had gotten married. “Bushido Spirit…” Sunset groaned as she exited the airport’s sliding doors. “I thought he was such a nice man… Until he stole my only daughter from me… Now I have to put myself through hours of travel just to see her for a few days.” Sunset walked over to the nearby train station, where there were numerous super-advanced trains waiting to take off. Sunset had read somewhere that these new Japanese trains were even faster than the bullet trains that had come before them, traveling well over four hundred miles per hour. Meanwhile the inside was cushioned with state of the art gyroscopes and g-diffusers so that the passengers would not feel a single bump on the way there. Sunset Shimmer bought a first class ticket and made her way to the front carriage. On the way, she had passed by another group of activists as reporters attempted to interview them. They were all carrying huge yellow banners and calling for equality between the rich and poor. She sighed and kept going. There were so many of these groups these days. The economy of the world had taken a sharp turn downslope in the last fifteen years or so, especially after the Digitalcurrency Crash of ‘56. Fortunately Sunset and her family had managed to survive that event mostly unscathed, though she did feel bad for those who had been affected. Sunset picked up her bag and entered into her cabin. It was going to take about an hour to get from the airport to Kantarijji, so she made herself comfortable in one of the squishy chairs and took out her phone. It was a small, matchbox sized device that was only three millimeters thick. She scanned her thumbprint on the surface and it projected various icons in the air in front of her face. Its wallpaper was a picture of her and her friends all the way back in 2012, when she had first learned the power of friendship. A few of them hadn’t made it out of that fight, but Sunset would never forget them, not even in her old age, not even in these difficult times. As for the rest of them, those that were still alive, they were always there for each other and they would continue to be. Looking out the window, Sunset tried to imagine her husband snapping pictures of the English royal family. That was the reason he wasn’t traveling with her right now and Sunset didn’t blame him for it. He loved taking photos and when the offer to follow the royal family around came up, she was the one who pushed him to take it. After all, it was such an honor to stand beside the queen, who till this day, remained healthy and able, surviving past even some of her great-grandchildren. More people began filling the train and one walked into her cabin, thinking it was hers. She apologized profusely, but Sunset waved her off, telling her it was no problem. Though she had put on a smile, she continued to seethe inside, hating the Japanese for making her daughter move here. It was a petty thing, but in her old age, she figured she should allow herself the small joys of life. Sunset busied herself playing a game of the popular VR game Fortfight on her phone. It was about that time in America where there would be lots of little kids playing, so she was able to win all the matches quite handily. She enjoyed listening to the other players rage when she killed them. Eventually she got bored of winning and put her game away, just in time to hear, “Next stop, Kantarijji.” “Finally,” Sunset grunted. She picked up her traveling bag and made her way to the nearest set of train doors. Out here in Kantarijji, away from the bustling cities of Japan, technology hadn’t quite taken over everything yet and the train station was still a shabby building without automatons. They were still using the same gantry posts they had thirty years ago and whoever was running the country now didn’t seem to think they should be upgraded too. Sunset slid her phone over the gantry’s screen, then walked on through as she returned back outside to the blazing sun. Now in the middle of summer, she removed her coat as soon as she had put her phone back in her pocket. Summer in Japan was much hotter than it was in Canterlot and she had no intention of dying from a heatstroke now, fashion or not. “I’m too old to keep up with fashion anyway…” Sunset pushed her greying hair away from her face as she searched around for any familiar faces. She didn’t see any, but her nose picked up something that was familiar. “Summer’s own secret recipe spice soup.” Sunset perked up and followed the aroma down the street. It wasn’t long before she arrived at a large set of gates that were set in a high wall. There was an intercom set in the bricks next to the gates and Sunset pressed the button with a small smile on her elderly face. She had always liked her daughter’s cooking. That was something she’d missed since Summer had moved to Japan. “Hello?” A male voice said. “Is that you, Sunset Shimmer?” Sunset knew the voice of her daughter’s husband well. She turned around to see the man standing there carrying a box of groceries. He wore a flowery blue shirt and beige khakis and he was starting to grow a beard on his face. “Bushido.” She gave him a nod. “You look like you’re doing well. Treating my daughter well?” Bushido laughed. “The best anyone can do. Don’t worry. Come, she’s got a surprise waiting for you inside.” He unlocked the gates with an app on his phone, then led the way through a stone pathway over a small creek, complete with one of those odd little bamboo devices that held water and made a small noise when it tipped the water out. Bushido pressed a button on his projected phone screen, unlocking a circular set of wooden front doors. The smell of spice soup was stronger in here, and Sunset and Bushido took off their shoes before heading in. Summer’s and Bushido’s home was a more traditional Japanese building, untouched by major renovations as most buildings were these days, with the exception of minor conveniences. The wooden floor here was pristine and even reflective, somehow. Sunset followed Bushido down the hall, dumping her suitcase in a guest room close by before venturing out into the dining area. There were paintings of suns on the walls, along with a few ornaments on a drawer beside her room. It was no surprise that they were ornaments of suns, though there was a plant in a jar seated on top of the drawer beside all the sun ornaments. It was a sunflower. “My daughter and her suns…” Sunset grinned. She liked suns too, seeing as they all had a birthmark of a sun on the back of their left shoulders, but this was a little extreme. “Welcome to the House of the Rising Sun.” Summer Shine stood in the kitchen, her back to them as she rotated between a frying pan, a pot and the sink. The smell here was stronger than ever and it made Sunset’s mouth water. It is a pity I have to come all the way to Japan just to have my daughter’s cooking. “Hey mom, you have a good trip over?” Summer asked with a smile as she continued to stir the pot’s contents. “Just give me a sec, I’ll be over.” “Summerrrr!” Sunset wasted no time and charged at her daughter, grabbing her in a bear hug, almost making her spill the soup. “My dearest daughter! My little girl!” “Yes, it’s good to see you too, mom,” Summer chuckled and tried to pry Sunset away. “Come on, I’ve got to cook.” “Oh, it’s so good to see you! It’s been so long. Why, Japan is ages away from Canterlot and I have to go through so much just to get here!” “We’ve talked about this, mom. You said it was okay for me to move here all those years ago. And besides, you get a change of scenery coming here.” “True… But I don’t get to see you everyday…” Sunset groaned. Then she gave Summer’s shoulders a rub. “Your dad and I are so lonely now without you.” “But you have all your friends back home.” Summer wiggled herself. “Now come on, time to let go, mom. The food’s not gonna cook itself.” Sunset complied and let go to look around. The table had been all set. There were four placemats sitting in front of four seats, along with gigantic spoons that looked like ladles. Bushido had said there was a surprise, but other than that, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Well, except for a new potted plant by the staircase. “Where’s Shiho? I want to give her a hug as well.” Sunset clapped her hands together before removing her gloves. “Honestly, I don’t have a clue.” Summer turned back to cook. “These days we don’t really get a read on where she goes and what she does.” “Unless it’s a run in with the police,” Bushido shook his head. “Then she’s at the nearest station.” Sunset blinked. “Wait… police? Why would Shiho be at the police?” “Shiho’s gotten very cheeky in the last two years,” Summer explained. “She and her friends like to do reckless things which sometimes brings them into conflict with the local law enforcement.” “No, Shiho? Not my sweet little Shiho…” Sunset’s hands began to shake. She could still remember her granddaughter smiling at her as she came home from school before running right up to her to give her a hug. Then she would tell her all about how day and how well she did in her classes. What she was hearing now, this wasn’t the granddaughter she remembered. “I have to go find her. I cannot believe what I’m hearing!” “You shouldn’t go far, mom. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour. And there’s still that surprise for you…” Summer motioned with a hand to Bushido and he ducked off into one of the rooms. “It’s something useful.” Sunset looked between her daughter and the entry hallway. “Fine, I’ll see what it is before I go look for my granddaughter. She’ll be up to no mischief as long as I’m here.” “I don’t know.” Summer shrugged. “She’s a Stand user too, you know that. And now that she’s what she is, she doesn’t get told what to do without a little resistance.” “Oh, my little Shiho…” Sunset turned around as a shadow passed over the front of her body. “How could such an obedient girl become a rebel? It’s Japan, it’s got to be. It’s no good for her here.” “Here it is…” Bushido returned, carrying a cardboard box. Sunset accepted it and flipped its lid open, revealing a dull orange cloche hat within, afixed with a red sun insignia. “Oh my goshhhh, this hat is so beautiful!” Sunset pulled it out and dropped the box on the floor. “This will be perfect for keeping the heat away from my face!” “Told you she’d like it, Bush.” Summer flashed her husband a wink. “Mom was an artist, so she has an eye for beautiful things.” Sunset wasted no time in trying on her new hat. It fit snugly on her head, and already, it felt cooling, even indoors. “The hat’s made out of nycron fiber,” Summer explained as she returned to her preparation. “It’ll always feel cool, no matter the weather or the temperature.” "And it's also waterproof," Bushido added. “What a swell daughter. Any mother will be lucky to have you.” Sunset ran back over and squeezed her daughter. “It’s a good thing you’re mine. Okay, so while you cook, I’m going to head out there and find Shiho and get her back in time for dinner. By now I should have… twenty-eight minutes before you’re done. I’ll be back on the dot.” “Well… I guess I would like to have Shiho back for dinner on time for once…” Summer twiddled her fingers together. “Okay, thanks mom. But be careful out there, alright? Some of those activists out there have been getting more violent. I don’t want you to get caught up in something like that. Just last week, a politician got shot. And this isn’t even in America.” Sunset pressed a thumb against her nose, then moved that arm and gave her a thumbs up. “We’re Sushi’s. We can look after ourselves. How do you think I’m still this strong seventy-four years into my life?” “You are, mom. I’m glad my mom’s as cool as she is.” Summer grinned and pointed her ladle at Sunset. “If you want to find her before dinner, you better get to it. Don’t worry about us. You can come back and catch up with us over soup.” “And that I will. I’ll never miss your soup for anything.” Sunset kissed Summer on the head before scrambling for the door, putting her new hat on her head. It really felt cool. “I’m gonna find my granddaughter and give her the biggest lecture of the century.” Summer laughed and waved. “Good luck. You’ll need it.”